Figuring out frugality

I know, I know it seems like every blogger in the universe is posting about ways to be frugal.  So why do a post on frugality?  Well, I've read many of those blog posts and have tried many of their suggestions only to get discouraged when I don't save 90% on my grocery bill by using coupons or because I don't have a chest freezer full of meals all ready to just heat & eat.  I would find myself questioning if I was just not being a good steward of the resources God has provided or if I really was just too dense to figure it all out.  Then I had a lightbulb moment.  The problem was that I was trying all these great ideas that worked for their families.  That were based on the priorities they had for their homes.  I wanted to be a good steward but had never taken the time to figure out what the priorities for our home were. 

I began figuring out these priorities by thinking back over conversations with my husband and trips to the grocery store where he tagged along.  Some questions I considered were:
What did he choose to buy?  Why? 
What things did he have me choose differently? 
What do I desire for my family? 
What do my kids prefer?
What is our schedule like? 
How much time can I dedicate to being frugal (let's face it clipping coupons, cooking meals for a month, even just checking the latest ads can take a huge chunk of time)? 
Most important of all, how could I use frugality to show God's love to my family?


After answering these questions, these are the priorities that I've determined.  Again, your answers will be different but here are mine (I'm hoping to do blog posts, in the near future, for each of these ideas):

Priority:      
Spending time with my family.     
                                                        
Frugal ideas to achieve this:
Meal plan
Cleaning schedule/plan
Cook with the kids. 
Use natural cleaners such as vinegar & baking soda so the kids can help clean without being exposed to chemicals.

Priority:
Use high quality foods, organic if possible.

Frugal idea to achieve this:
Join CSA
Buy in bulk
Use rewards programs or coupons.
Stock up on marked down meats.
Eat less meat.

Priority:
Teach our kids the joy of a job well done & service to others.

Frugal idea to achieve this:
Make family favorites.  Think about what family members like and surprise them with a treat.
Make homemade versions of favorite store bought treats.
Make cleaning fun!!
Make surprises for family members (cards, pictures, etc.) or surprise them by serving them in some way.

Priority:
Have fun!

Frugal idea to achieve this:
Crafts
Puppet shows
Acting out Bible stories
Playing in our own private "park" (backyard)

So those are my frugality priorities and some ideas to achieve those goals.  What are yours?